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Breakers win NBL first semi against Kings

Alastair Bull

New Zealand Breakers coach Andrej Lemanis had high praise for his team's defensive effort as they ended the hoodoo on their NBL first semi-final matches with an 81-64 win over the Sydney Kings.

In front of a subdued crowd of 8400 at Vector Arena on Thursday, the Breakers were rarely out of second gear in attack, shooting at just 44 per cent from the field.

But they played a strong defensive game to keep the Kings to a low 36 per cent field goal shooting percentage and stopped the visitors ever getting in front.

"We disrupted them at times, made them shoot contested shots and we just gave the energy and the desperation and the passion that's required to be good in playoffs," Lemanis said.

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"Their shooting percentages weren't great. By the same token, ours weren't outstanding either, but our defence gave us the opportunity to win that basketball game."

The Breakers lost their opening semi-final matches in the past two years on the way to winning the NBL title but are in the position where they can reach the final for the first time without needing a game-three decider.

"I'd certainly much rather be in this position. We're in control now," said Thomas Abercrombie, who topped the Breakers scoring with 15 points.

"But we certainly can't take our foot off at all because we're going over to their place on Monday. They're going to throw everything at it. It's a job half done."

Kings coach Shane Heal was pleased his team matched the Breakers in terms of possession but said the 36 per cent shooting percentage wasn't good enough.

"We averaged 47 per cent against this team in the four-game series so, when you're a long way behind in the percentages like that, it really puts the pressure on," he said.

"We certainly won't get our head down as a result of this game. I've been involved in series where they turn around very quickly."

The teams meet for the second match in the best-of-three series in Sydney on Easter Monday.